Michigan Legislature bans 'retarded,' 'retardation' from laws

Mar. 20, 2014

Michigan State Capitol / Thomas Gennara

Written by

Detroit Free Press Lansing Bureau

LANSING — The words retarded and mental retardation will be officially banished from a wide variety of state laws after both the House and Senate gave final passage Thursday to a package of 15 bills commonly referred to as “remove the word.”

The less stigmatizing terms developmentally disabled or intellectually disabled will replace retarded and mental retardation in state laws. The recommendations came after the Michigan Mental Health and Wellness Commission released a report last month that called for less incendiary language in state law.

Lois Arnold, president and CEO of Special Olympics in Michigan which supports the bills, said all but five states in the nation have removed the offending word from state law.

Gov. Rick Snyder supports the bills and is expected to sign them when they hit his desk.